The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Modi, on Wednesday approved continuation of the supply of free fortified rice under all schemes including Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes from July 2024 and upto December 2028.
The rice fortification initiative will continue as a central sector initiative with 100% funding by the Centre as part of PMGKAY (Food Subsidy), thus providing a unified institutional mechanism for implementation.
In line with the Prime Minister's address on 75th Independence Day on the necessity of Nutritional Security in the country, the initiative "Supply of fortified rice throughout the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), Other Welfare Schemes, Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS), PM POSHAN (Erstwhile MDM) in all States and Union Territories (UTs)" to address anaemia and micronutrients deficiency in the country was taken up.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in April 2022 had decided to implement the Rice fortification initiative throughout the country in a phased manner by March 2024.
All three phases have been successfully completed and the target of universal coverage to supply fortified rice in all schemes of the Government was achieved by March 2024.
